Nebraska joins the Big Ten

Rumors have run rampant across the country about the reshuffling of conferences and which schools could end up as members of the Big Ten Conference.

Could Texas come? Would Oklahoma follow? What about Missouri or Maryland?

For now, only one school will definitely be joining the Big Ten: the University of Nebraska.

The first academic institution added to the conference since Penn State joined in 1990 was chosen because of its similarities with the current conference and because it just “fit.”

“By unanimous vote, the Big Ten Presidents and Chancellors are pleased to welcome the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to the Big Ten Conference,” said Lou Anna K. Simon, Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors chair and Michigan State president.
“We believe Nebraska is an extraordinary fit, reflecting the criteria we
established at the beginning of the process — high academic quality, competitiveness, cultural compatibility and fiscal responsibility.”

Even though Nebraska is a much smaller campus than most of other conference schools, with just over 23,000 students, it was compatibility — not athletic championships, school size, or even the public’s perception of what Nebraska could bring to the Big Ten — that was the key to making the expansion move.

“I’m convinced that 21 years ago, and for the last 20 years, we made as good an expansion choice with Penn State as any other expansion in the country because of the similarities and the fit between Penn State and the Big Ten conference,” Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said. “I am equally convinced today as we stand here that Nebraska will be a great member of the Big Ten, not only on the playing fields, not only in the classroom, but because of the cultural fit and the geographic fit and the desire to be a member of the Big Ten conference.”

Nebraska Athletics Director and former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne echoed the Big Ten’s reasoning.

“The Big Ten Conference has much to offer,” Osborne said. “This is a tribute to our athletic program, our academic programs and our fans. This is the right move at the right time. This is a rare opportunity that may not have been an option for us in the future.”

However, while critics believe the school’s athletic programs outweighed all else in the expansion decision, another primary reason the Big Ten chose Nebraska was due to academic similarities.

Nebraska, like many of the other Big Ten institutions, is a member of the Association of American Universities. Sixty-one American and two Canadian universities are members of the nonprofit association. The AAU’s primary focus is to provide universities funding for research and both graduate and undergraduate education.

Why Nebraska?
Academic reasons and cultural similarities don’t do it for everyone.

Why Nebraska instead of Texas, whose athletic department made a NCAA-high $138.5 million in revenue over the past two years and boasts teams that compete for championships in nearly every sport? Or why not Oklahoma, which has made three trips to the BCS National Championship game over the past 10 years?

There are several other seemingly more successful, particularly in recent years, institutions within the Big 12. However, looking at Nebraska’s strong football tradition and history, it fits right along with another Big Ten historical football program, Michigan.  
Like Michigan, the Huskers have one of the largest football fan bases in the country, having sold out 304 straight home games, an NCAA record. They also have been successful academically in football, with 98 Academic All-Americans all-time, the most in NCAA history.

Historically, the team has been successful on the field too, as it has won five national championships since 1970 and is one of eight Division-I programs to have more than 800 wins. Nebraska is the fourth-winningest program in history, and in the last 50 years, it is the best NCAA football program in both the number of wins and winning percentage. The Huskers are 827-341-40 all-time.

But Nebraska is much more than just a football stronghold, as it has had several other sports routinely play for championships and in postseason tournaments, including baseball and volleyball.

The Huskers volleyball team has won three national championships and appeared in 11 Final Fours in the 35 years the program has existed. Baseball success has been more recent, with three College World Series appearances in the last decade.  

Who’s next?
It seems as if the Big 12 conference will soon be defunct, as ESPN reports rumors about schools looking for other options. Some are reportedly thinking of following Nebraska. The Big 12 is now down to 10 teams after Colorado bolted for the Pac-10 Conference.

It is currently unknown if the Big Ten will pursue any of the remaining Big 12 schools.
“At this point, I think as far as we’re concerned, it’s my understanding there aren’t any other (Big 12) conference members being considered by the Big Ten,” Big 12 Conference Commissioner Dan Beebe said.

For now, the Big Ten seems content with just adding Nebraska, but Delany left room for a chance for more expansion.

“I want to go back to our presidents. I want to talk to our athletic directors, take a deep breath and sort of see what the possibilities might be,” Delany said.

But he made sure to not rule out the so-called “power conferences” that many believe could come from the Big 12 disassembling.

“We’re still going to be open and aware of what’s going on around us,” Delany said. “We’re going to continue the study process. I don’t think that the change that is in play is going to abate anytime soon. It could be lesser change than a lot of people speculated — maybe it’ll be something as seismic as others have speculated on. We’re stronger today than we were yesterday as a result of Nebraska’s application to the Big Ten and their unanimous acceptance into the Big Ten.”